Newstex script

May 5, 2017

Bloomberg news reports that a jury in St. Louis has awarded $5 million in compensatory damages and $105 million in punitive damages against Johnson & Johnson, in a lawsuit alleging that the company's talcum powder products (Shower to Shower and Baby Powder) caused the plaintiff's ovarian cancer.

This is the fourth time a jury in Missouri has awarded punitive damages against J&J based on claims that talc can cause ovarian cancer. A fifth trial resulted in a defense verdict. The company says it plans to appeal, and that the verdict is contrary to governmental and scientific consensus that talc is safe. The plaintiff's counsel accuses the company of "spending millions in efforts to manipulate scientific and regulatory scrutiny."